Outwards Reinsurance Finance Director in London

About us

Since Aspen was founded in 2002, we have become a leading, diversified specialty insurance and reinsurance company. We respond thoughtfully and creatively to find the best outcomes for our clients and business partners through carefully-tailored solutions.

We believe the way we work is just as important as the work we do, and we are guided by our core values of respect, honesty, trust and professionalism.

Aspen is a great place to develop your career offering an exciting and challenging environment where achievement is rewarded.

The role

Outwards Reinsurance Accounting is a global Aspen function accountable for all post-placement analysis and financial reporting of Aspen’s treaty and facultative Outwards Reinsurance placements, across all business segments and platforms.

The Outwards Reinsurance Finance Director, is responsible for the centralised group outwards reinsurance accounting team and function. This senior role within the group finance organisation will be responsible for the delivery of timely and accurate accounting and analysis of outwards reinsurance data to multiple stakeholders, both internal and external. The outwards Reinsurance Finance Director will also be responsible for leading a large scale transformation project aimed at enhancing operational and accounting processes within outwards reinsurance.

Key accountabilities

Group Responsibilities

• To lead the outwards reinsurance accounting function and team for Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd.
• To ensure effective management of the outwards reinsurance accounting. processes and functions throughout the group, including internal and external reporting, evaluation of corporate development opportunities and maintenance of applicable internal financial controls.
• Develop and maintain relationships with various stakeholders both internally and externally.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Build, maintain and develop strong internal relationships with Finance, Actuarial, Underwriting, Operations and other business stakeholders as appropriate to achieving business objectives.
• Responsible for the outwards reinsurance accounting team, and their reporting obligations to internal and external stakeholders, and for delivering accurate and timely outwards reinsurance processing.
• Developing outwards reinsurance business partner capabilities within the team to service internal and external clients
• Lead a large scale transformation project over a number of years aimed at enhancing operational and accounting processes within outwards reinsurance. This involves oversight of a full project infrastructure team, including project managers, internal and external consultants and subject matter experts.
• Effectively manage the workload of the wider Outwards Reinsurance Accounting team, and partnering with Outwards Reinsurance operations and placements teams.
• Enhance and further develop internal management information capabilities to support outward reinsurance and other internal stakeholder activities.
• Enhance the teams provisioning of forecast cashflow information to the Group Treasury/Investment team as it relates to outwards reinsurance.
• Ensuring outwards reinsurance data quality is maintained at a high standard, and that emergent and historic data issues are resolved in a timely manner.
• Enhance and develop detailed and integrated Key Performance Indicators in support of business partner service delivery standards, and in support of data provisioning processes.

Skills & experience

• Professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA)
• Minimum 10 to 15 years PQE within the Insurance industry is essential
• Prior experience of Outwards Reinsurance or Risk Redistribution is essential
• Significant work experience as a qualified and chartered accountant
• Strong technical and organisational skills
• Excellent and verbal communication skills
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to contribute to broader corporate strategy
• Credibility with the ability to make an immediate impact in the organisation
• Team player, ability to facilitate and encourage teamwork and develop people
• Skilled negotiator with a track record of successfully managing third party suppliers
• Dynamic and decisive leader, good at motivating people at all levels
• Track record of delivery, but also able to think strategically with the confidence to challenge and influence
• Matrix management skills
• Ability to complete projects and follow up on actions with key stakeholders
• A keenness to take action, demonstrate decisiveness using problem solving skills
• Resilient, flexible and evidence of broad strategic thinking aligned with attention to detail.
• Strong IT skills and familiarity with all Microsoft packages, including Word, Excel (advanced level), e-mail and database software

Other

Additional Duties

• To act in accordance with and be an advocate of the Aspen Spirit
• Participate and undertake applicable professional, technical and career development training (delivered internally and externally) to include attainment of associated qualifications where required
• Where applicable ensure company, market and client related documentation is issued (internally and externally) accurately and on time
• Comply with external and internal regulatory and statutory policies, procedures and regulations
• Operate as an effective team member by supporting colleagues and contributing in the delivery and achievement of the teams overall vision and objectives
• Liaise with key business groups to establish, support and maintain solid business relationships and organisational effectiveness
• To undertake any other duties of a similar nature that the company reasonably requests to be performed that are within the expertise and skills of the jobholder. These may be subject to periodic review and any updates and changes to be introduced after consultation with the person concerned